Jim Chaps "First" - Innovative work from a most-promising songwriter, guitarist, folk singer; includes "New York For Firemen" the superb 9-11 tribute song.

12 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Modern Folk, EASY LISTENING: Soft Rock



Details:
Along with 12 solid songs, come printable extras--a gift to the industry from one of music's very innovative singer/songwriters. To compliment the CD and/or digitally downloaded songs, fans and listeners can access full page printable lyrics, credits and other liner-notes in PDF format directly from the jimchaps.com website.

Folk singer Jim Chaps' "First" begins with "New York For Firemen," a Sept. 11 tribute, and among the finest real-event songs since Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." Jim's slogan is "Fresh Folk Music" -- that's what he delivers throughout. "All I Think About Is Girls" (really more pop/country than Folk) is dedicated to Johnny Cash, who Jim says "recorded some very fun songs" and Bob Hope "His humor often parodied men's attraction to women." "All I Think About Is Girls" has rapid-fire originality, with innovative twists and a couple new rhymes-with-girls words (beyond the predictable, curls, pearls, whirls and twirls.) Subwoofer speakers bounce on this one.

Other fun songs on "First" are: "Highway 23," co-written with brother Dave while driving in a car for a fishing trip in Michigan--it sounds like cattle-driving, singing cowboy, square dancing music; "One-Eyed Mouse" is pure, tall-tale fun; "Tell Yourself You Can" is upbeat, positive, motivational. "Time To Ride" and "East From River" resonate with acoustic guitar, and inspirational words and vocals.

"Man With Blue Guitar" is instrumental classical/flamenco guitar--and is just Jim and one guitar, no overdubs. (It builds to sound like more than one guitar.) Chaps was inspired at an early age by Andres Segovia, the classical guitarist. Jim saw and heard Segovia perform inside a sold-out 4,000-seat auditorium -- without amplifiers. "Man with Blue Guitar" is also inspired by a Picasso painting called "The Old Guitarist" from Picasso's "Blue Period." A poem by Wallace Stevens may become song lyrics for this music.

"Destiny" is the first song Jim wrote at 18 years old. "Ride of Time" is poignant, mindful of works by Harry Chapin or Jim Croce. "Last Minute Charlie" could be picked up by a traditional country artist and become a hit. "Hey, Mr. Ego" is a call to consciousness about material possessions.

To Jim, Folk is more than an historical art form, it is ever-relevant and timeless. Jim became a songwriter in 1976 and sang original compositions at the Hinge Coffee House (at University of Michigan-Dearborn's campus in the Henry Ford mansion basement.) These songs weren't recorded for commercial release until 2004.

In the coming months, Jim plans to incorporate more formal poetry, by noted writers into his songs. The "poems to music" aspect of Jim's songwriting began in 1976 too. Jim believes that brilliant wordcrafting in great poetry is enhanced in song. That poems-to-music provides a fresh interpretation and pleasure -- and will introduce great verse and lyrics to a larger audience.

Background of "New York For Firemen" - Last September, as an assignment with other songwriters in the Tampa Bay/Sarasota area Jim had one week to compose a "personality sketch" song. A local newspaper ran a story and photos of Mr. Gerald Hanley, retired New York Fireman living in Venice, Florida attending a local 9-11 ceremony. Jim wrote the song describing Mr. Hanley and his family. The song is from the heart, and seems to make the surreal / tragic events of 9-11-01 feel personal to many listeners. Jim was invited to play the song at a street-naming ceremony on Staten Island held in June, 2004.

The First album is acoustic, raw Folk, and includes some fun "beat box" bass/drum sounds on a couple cuts that will get the subwoofers bouncing. After all, Jim's slogan is Fresh Folk Music. His musical influences are wide and diverse. Jim was born in Detroit, grew up and went to school in Dearborn and Ann Arbor. Some friends describe Jim as the "Beach Punk Cowboy." It's a given that Jim sparks fun, and can inspire a whistle or shout from the listener, but it is his literary side--the poems-to-music aspect of his craft and his sincerity in addressing the theme: our days on earth are brief and valuable--that will lift this music beyond boundaries of any one genre. Jim Chaps "First" is an important album worth adding to your collection of acoustic music.